164. The Sword Clan (2)
* * *
Dark blue darkness was visible through the entrance of the cave.
Ethan forced his heavy eyelids open. The place where Ethan and Vivian were standing now was a cave.
It was the same place where the two first opened their eyes after falling into the past together. I felt like I had come a long way and reached my place.
I wonder if I was able to find this cave because I fell somewhere on the outskirts of Ronbiavan on my way back.
But many things have changed. Ethan lost his comrades, his sword was broken, and he was defeated.
Vivian still looked out of the cave with trembling eyes. I couldn’t stay here long.
You never know when your opponent will come after you. Vivian was able to catch her breath for a moment only after she spread her magical energy in all directions.
The Black Knights, blocking Vassago, shimmered in front of them. They were the ones who came out of Edan’s shadow and protected their master until the end.
It was Ethan who lost them. It would have been more complex and resentful than the feelings he felt.
I couldn’t carelessly offer comfort to Edan because I didn’t know what kind of existence they were.
“Ethan… .”
“it’s okay. I’m glad anyway Vivian. Are you hurt anywhere?”
may not be able to revive. The opponent is Vassago, a demon with the alias of a soul reaper. He would have taken all the souls of the undead.
Ethan gently bit his lower lip. Soon he clenched his fist once.
I wanted to keep this feeling so that it would not become dull.
At the same time, he was relieved to be able to run away with Vivian.
“I am okay. What about Ethan?”
“I’m fine too.”
“Ethan, show me your hand.”
Vivian came up to Ethan and grabbed her wrist. I forcibly pulled what I was trying to hide behind. She took off her leather gloves and examined her palms.
Dark red blood stuck to it, revealing the stained palms.
“It’s okay… . Your palms are all torn.”
It was obvious that he was physically exhausted. I couldn’t even breathe. Ethan smiled awkwardly and wiped his blood-stained palms on his clothes.
“Originally, my palms are a bit torn.”
“I have some potions to apply on me.”
Vivian took out the potion and bandage from the subspace and spread it on Ethan’s palm. Ethan frowned.
“At times like this, you’re getting serious again.”
“no. It really stings.”
Ethan was able to remove his hand only after wrapping the bandage.
“I cannot stay here long. Let’s head to the city.”
I don’t want to admit it, but my opponent was strong.
Edan was so strong that he couldn’t help it. If I had to face him again and win, I didn’t have the confidence to win.
can’t face Then, in the end, the only thing you could do was go to the city guarded by the guards and hide yourself.
“Is it okay if we enter the city as is?”
Ethan knew very well what Vivian’s question meant. If we head to the city like this, Vassago might follow us to the city and harm the citizens.
Although, Ronbiavan is large enough to be called a city, it is not as large as Lognesban or Istvan.
Lognesban is a huge city in the east along with Istvan, and Istvan is a city that strong professors and adventurers use as a base based on Nadia Academy.
On the other hand, Ronbiaban was a small tourist destination with hot springs as its main income.
I knew.
But now I couldn’t see any other way. Vivian looked into Ethan’s quivering dark eyes.
Black eyes glistened in the moonlight. The owner of that eye always shouldered many things alone, as if he knew everything by himself.
It was incomprehensible to Vivian.
During the battle of Arbis, at Atlan, the dragon’s nest, at the young lady’s wedding, and even at this very moment.
‘Why do you fight alone every time?’
Sepia wasn’t the only one who always watched over Ethan. It was the same with Vivian who watched over Ethan with Sepia.
but couldn’t ask
It didn’t seem like something he needed to ask. Because I didn’t deserve it. what am i can you ask him that?
He was merely a servant of one family.
It wasn’t that I didn’t like having a lady.
However, compared to others, he always seemed shabby. A girl from a wizarding family, a daughter of a grand guild, a Lynchester knight with all her talents, a student with the highest grades at the academy… .
Edan’s surroundings were always overflowing with great people.
Compared to them, she was just a maid who knew how to wield a sword.
But one thing.
There was something about her that she hadn’t been able to properly tell anyone until now.
“excuse me. Ethan. Can you promise me one thing?”
“… What?”
Vivian nodded with trembling eyes. Soon, as if she had made up her mind, she slowly knelt down.
“I think I can trust you, Ethan.”
The sword was broken and the enemy was too strong. Even if he pulled out another sword, it didn’t seem like he would be able to defeat Vassago.
And you never know when you might catch up.
Even in that situation, Edan swung his sword without hesitation.
Last summer, Ethan rescued her from drowning on a boat during a storm.
Even at the Battle of Atlon, Ethan saved Vivian from Mine Bine’s attack. Vivian was unable to convey her gratitude at that time.
It was from then.
What was Ethan concerned about? I even wandered around the campus, wondering if I would meet him while passing by.
‘no… . What I started to care about Ethan was… . It was from our date together on a spring day.’
I couldn’t confide in my heart that I had been holding for a long time alone.
‘Because the sepia lady likes Ethan… . And I believed that Ethan liked the sepia girl too… .’
I really didn’t want to get in between the two.
As a servant, he could not betray the young lady. In the end, I liked it alone and was holding my breath.
So far, Vivian has been watching Ethan. and have been observing what moment was it At some point, I believed that if it was Edan, it might be okay to become the owner of the holy sword.
‘If you… , Is it okay if I become the owner of the holy sword?’
Ethan, whether aware of Vivian’s feelings or not, still watched Vivian with a blank gaze.
A bloody laugh leaked out.
The sepia lady once said that when she sees Ethan, she gets jealous.
Now, Vivian seemed to understand that feeling.
“Senior Ethan, please listen carefully to what I am saying from now on. I am Vivian Ragnaro. He is a descendant of the sword clan and bears the holy sword.”
The clan of swords, Vivian had one mission.
Embracing the holy sword for the rest of his life, he seeks the one who will become the owner of that sword. For 300 years, the holy sword lost its owner and has been passed down from generation to generation by the sword family.
A group of warriors sealed the Demon King. And the holy sword returned to the clan. Ever since the world was at peace, the clan has inherited the holy sword from generation to generation.
On the surface, the world seemed peaceful. The problem is that after the death of the hero, more and more people are looking for the whereabouts of the holy sword.
Because of the holy sword, the clan had to survive numerous raids and oppression.
From time to time, they lived in hiding in remote villages, and have made a living by working in various occupations. After a hundred years, only legends about such a sword were floating around.
After a longer period of time, those who believed in the Holy Sword were treated as fools who believed in legends.
When she was young, even Vivian didn’t believe in saying that she was a holy sword or a clan of swords.
Then one winter day, her mother called Vivian.
It was a very cold winter day like today. To this day, Vivian could remember the scenery of that day especially clearly.
A fierce north wind shook the windows, and the firewood in the fireplace crackled and burned.
Mother said to twelve-year-old Vivian, sitting in an armchair.
‘Vivian, we are the family of the sword.’
‘… A clan of swords?’
It was a story that had only been heard in legends.
At those words, Vivian blinked. In a calm tone, her mother told Vivian about family secrets.
It was then that Vivian heard the family secret for the first time.
‘And now it seems the time has come for me to pass on the holy sword to you.’
It was a memory from long ago. However, even after inheriting the holy sword, Vivian did not feel that her actual position had changed.
Even when she was harassed by aristocrats for being a sweet maid at a socialite party, and even when other maids ignored her for passing the chance to become a nobleman’s lover, Vivian endured only by thinking that she was a member of the sword clan.
He believed that since he had the Holy Sword, he would have a special mission. Although, I haven’t been able to find a proper owner for 300 years.
The deeper she thought about it, the more Vivian felt that she was an empty shell. He said that the Holy Sword was his real self, and that he was just a shell holding the sword.
Vivian hesitated for a moment before continuing.
“If you… . I think I can give it my all.”
Anyway, to Vivian, the holy sword was her everything. Because he thought he had nothing left of him.
“Please look. Ethan… . This sword is all I have.”
Vivian’s upper body revealed a golden magic circle. Vivian slowly drew her sword from the crack.
Holy sword Excalibur.
It was a sword with a silvery white blade and a golden handle in balance. As if to prove that he was a master sword, the holy sword was shining alone even in the dark.
Vivian stood up and held out the holy sword to Ethan.
“I know you will find it strange. My last name is Ragnaro… . One of the sword clans that currently possesses the holy sword. Ethan, please hold this sword.”
Ethan watched Vivian with trembling eyes.
He knew how determined Vivian, a member of the sword clan, had made just to reveal her secret.
Excalibur… .
Originally, Arthur should have been the owner of the sword. At that moment, a frightening demonic spirit came from outside the cave.
It meant that Vassago was closely pursuing.
After hesitating for a long time, Ethan reached out and grabbed the sword.
As if resonating with his pounding heart, the sword that emitted light once came into Edan’s hand. The holy sword wrapped around my hand like a sword I had been using for a long time.
“go. Ethan. Because the sword recognized you as its master. Please confront the demons and the beings outside the cave.”
Ethan nodded and went outside. There, a demon scattering the hem of a black robe was shining red eyes.
“Ethan, I finally found it… !”
Edan, who dropped his sword to the ground, straightened his grip once. Golden magic flowed from the sword and mixed with the silver-white torch.
Vassago stopped due to unusual energy.
“… that. What is it?”
I had no reason to tell you.
It seemed that the will of the sword was transmitted to Edan. Destroy the enemy in front of you now. It was unclear whether it was Edan’s will or the sword’s will.
One thing was certain, Ethan followed his will.
As his intuition told him, Ethan moved his body. Just holding the sword seemed to restore energy.
There was no reason to hesitate and no need to hesitate. All he had to do now was to destroy the enemy in front of him.
‘Linchester swordsmanship, type 9 torch sword.’
Along with the silver-white torch, golden magic rose.
‘Cut it… . Cutting space and at the same time even the enemy hiding behind it.’
It seemed like I could do it now. A halo of light extending in a straight line drew a sword and a horizontal line.
“Haa!”
With a spirited spirit, Edan swung the sword he was holding with both hands. An ecstatically beautiful group of lights passed by.
At the same time, the price of using powerful magical powers came.
Edan clenched his teeth at the recoil and stepped firmly on the ground to avoid being pushed away. The pain arose as if my wrist had been broken, and my palms were oozing blood.
Fresh blood smeared on the wrapped bandages. But couldn’t back down.
“I don’t know what you’re doing, but it doesn’t work for me!”
Vassago hid in space. No matter how strong the blow the opponent used, it could be avoided by hiding behind the space.
I believed so.
At that moment, Ethan sprinted across the ground. Stepping on the ground in succession, he approached Vassago. Then, with the power of running, Vassago threw a tightly gripped sword into the hidden air.
wickedness-!
With the sound of cutting the wind, the sword filled with mighty magic cut through the air. At that moment, something unbelievable happened. space is torn
Vassago’s eyes saw a ray of light crossing the darkness.
And intense pain overtook him. His black eyes were burning with fighting spirit and glaring at him.
“It is over. Vassago.”
The blade cut through Vassago’s torso.
Vassago slowly turned his head to stare at Ethan. The man who had cut himself was facing him.
The hem of the black robe was burning with the torch.
‘I was injured in a clash with the hero Lund Amos. But even so… .’
Obviously, the opponent was just a kid.
Vassago, who clashed with Edan once, couldn’t believe that Gamigin had been beaten by such a kid. That’s how weak Ethan was.
“What the hell are you… .”
Did he become stronger in that short amount of time?
Vassago forcibly held on to his consciousness. The red eyes blinked repeatedly and glared at the opponent. A young man with black hair was approaching.
“Your boy… . What the hell is that black… .”
The bones in his hands were crumbling.
The Reaper of Souls immediately laughed. I suddenly remembered the power I saw 300 years ago.
A hero who wielded a holy sword against the hordes of demons.
The scenery of the battlefield that had taken place in the Demon Realm shimmered in my vision. The dark blue dragon under the purple sky, the holy sword, and the companions he led. I remembered everything.
“I remembered. that black… .”
Vassago was unable to finish his speech. The white bones faded, and the magic stone exposed between the ribs cracked.
In the next moment, the spirits scattered in all directions. The souls he had so far harvested were dissipating.
“So beautiful… .”
Vassago muttered resignedly. Soon, his body crumbled along with the scattered soul and was blown away by the wind.
